New Aston Villa manager David O'Leary is set to face an almost immediate showdown with the club which sacked him just 11 months ago.

New Aston Villa manager David O'Leary is set to face an almost immediate showdown with the club which sacked him just 11 months ago.

Villa and O'Leary's former club Leeds are pencilled in to face one another as part of a four-team pre-season tournament in the Irishman's home city of Dublin on the weekend of August 9-10.

O'Leary, who has been handed a three-year contract by Villa as successor to Graham Taylor, was axed from the Elland Road hot-seat last June after his failure to secure Champions League football.

The 46-year-old also split the Leeds dressing room with the publication of a book entitled 'Leeds United on Trial', written in the wake of the controversial court case involving former Leeds stars Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate.

O'Leary also spent a staggering £96m on players during his near four-year reign at Leeds, inadvertently contributing to the club's current parlous state.

The tournament is primarily being organised by Eircom League side St Patrick's Athletic, in conjunction with another Dublin club, Shelbourne.

Athletic general manager Brian Dalton confirmed: "There are just a couple of things that need to be ironed out, but we're 95pc there.

"Villa and Leeds are the two Premiership clubs that have been earmarked to play and it looks likely that will be the case.

"The fact David O'Leary has just been appointed Aston Villa manager, and he was manager at Leeds, is good from our point of view because it means we will get bigger attendances for the games."

Leeds boss Peter Reid, meanwhile, is currently involved in a four-way battle for the signature of out-of-contract Liverpool midfielder Patrik Berger.

Czech international Berger is also being chased by Premiership newcomers Portsmouth, while Everton and Spurs are believed to be the other interested clubs.

Barry Silkman, Berger's English representative, confirmed: "Leeds showed an interest about four days ago.

"Both Leeds and Portsmouth are interested, but they are two of four clubs we are still talking to."